Brick-press.



A Patented Apr. 13, 19.09.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

J. I. GROSS. BRIK PRESS. l APPLIOATION FILED AUG. a, 190s.

Patented Apr. 13, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

o alffoznu s UNlTED STATES PATENT BERE.,

JESSE I. GROSS, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO RAYMOND GAY, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

BBCK-PBESS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Jnssn I. Cnoss, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county of 1.uval and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Brick-Press, of which the folloi` 'ing is a specification.

This invention relates to brick machines and more particularly to that general class oi' machines shown and described in United States Letters Patent No. 868515 and especially designed Jfor making sand-lime brick.

The object of the invention is to provide a strong, durable and thoroughly efficient machine of the character described in which sand is fed directly from the sand bank or other source of supply to the molds, thereby obviating the necessity ot employing exw pensive machinery for drying the sand preparatory to introducing the same into the molds.

A further object is to provide a reciprocating carriage having a series of pockets adapted to receive the material and deliver the same to the molds, said carriage being provided with means disposed within the pockets for agitating the material as the latter is fed from a hopper to the pockets and discharged from said pockets into the molds.

A further object is to provide means for operating the agitating lingers when the receiving pockets register with the hopper and mold, respectively.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efiiciency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the 'following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a brick making niachine constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the carriage in retracted position with the pockets thereof in registration with the hopper. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the carriage at the limit of its forward stroke and the material in the pocket being delivered to the mold. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the feed carriage detached. Fig. 4 is an end view of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed August 3, 1908.

Patented April 13, 1909.

Serial No. 446,718.

rear elevation oi' a portion ot the machine. Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 8.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The machine comprises a supporting frame including a table 5 provided with one or more molds or compartments 6 in which are mounted for vertical movement co-acting plungers 7. The upper plungers 7 are connecten by a toggle -8 with a rock arm 9 to the free end oi' which is secured in any suit able manner s aced depending connecting rods 10, which atter are connected with the crank pin of a master gear 11 and mounted on a shaft 12 journaled in the supporting frame, as shown. rThe lower plungers are operated by a lifting lever 13 pivotally mounted at 14 and provided with a terminal roller 15 which extends in the ath-of movement of a cam 16 carried by t ie shaft 12 so that as the shaft revolves the cam will engage the roller and through the medium of the lever 13 reciprocate the lower plungers. these parts are shown and described in Letters Patent No. 868515 above referred to, and form no part of the present invention, being shown merely in order to illustrate the construction and operation of the feed carriage and its associated parts forming the subject matter of the present invention.

The -feed carriage 17 is mounted 'for reciprocation on the table 5 and is provided at its forward end with a transverse recess in which are arranged a series of longitudinally disposed partitions 18 dividing said recess into a series oi compartments or iockets 19 adapted to receive the sand and lime from the hopper 20. The hopper 2O is mounted on the supporting frame above the reciprocating carriage 17 and the lime and sand is 'fed thereto through a chute 21 preferably disposed between the rock arms 9 and emptying into the top of the hopper 20, as shown.

Mounted for rotation within the Dockets or compartments 19 are longitudinal shafts 22, each provided with a plurality oi' radiating iingers 23 which serve to agitate the material, as the latter is fed from the hopper to said compartments or 'from the compart ments into the molds 6. The longitudinal shafts 22 are each provided at one end thereoi with a beveled gear 24 which meshes with the adjacent beveled gear on a transverse shaft 26 journaled in the Walls of the carriage 17. Keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the opposite ends of the transverse shaft 26 are sprocket Wheels 27 connected through the medium of sprocket chains 2S, with similar sprocket Wheels 29 carried by a transverse shaft 30 on the rear hinged portion or the yoke 31 of the feed carriage. The hinged portion or yoke 31 is pivotally mounted atn32 and is provided with terminal threaded portions or bolts 33 carrying clips or hangers 34, the latter being provided with transversely alined bearings 35 for the reception of a transverse rock arm 36. rllhe rock arm 36 is provided with a depending lever 37 an intermediate portion of Which is pivotally mounted at 38 on the supporting` frame, While the free end thereof is provided With an anti-friction roller 40 which travels in a cam groove 41 formed in the adjacent gear Wheel 11, so that as the Wheel 11 revolves the carriage Will be moved back and forth over the upper surface of the table.

Suitable clamping nuts 42 are carried by the bolts 33 for engagement with the clips 34, whereby the rock arm 36 may be locked in different positions of adjustment on said bolts.

Secured to or formed integral with the lower face of the carriage 17 is a guide plate 43 which bears against the upper surface ol' the table and serves to receive the Wear incident to the travel of the carriage on said table and also assists in guiding the same when the carriage is moved to different positions of adjustment on the table.

Attention is here called to the fact that the beveled gears 24 and 25 are housed within a recess or compartment 44 extending transversely of the carriage so as to protect the gearing from sand, lime and other material being fed to the pockets 19, the upper wall 45 of the' compartment serving to cut off the flow of material from the hopper 2O When said pockets register with the molds 6.

Secured to and extending vertically from the sup orting frame are spaced brackets 46 in Whic is mounted for rotation a transverse shaft 47 carrying a pulley 48, the latter being connected through the medium. of a belt 49 with an engine or other suitable source of power. Disposed on opposite sides of the pulley 48 are similar pulleys 50 having grooved or channeled faces for engagement with suitable belts 51. The belts 51 engage correspondingly grooved Wheels or pulleys 52 secured to the transverse shaft 20 so that when the belt 49 is operated motion Will be transmitted from the driving shaft 47 through the medium of the belts 51 to the shaft 30 and thence through the medium of the sprocket chains 28 to the gearing thereby to rotate the shafts 22 and thus agitate the material Within the pockets 19.

The driving shaft 47 and belts 51 are so arranged with respect to the carriage that when the latter reaches the limit of its forward and rearward movements the belts 51 Will be tightened or placed under stress so as to operate the agitating lingers, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

ln operation, sand and lime are fed through the chute 21 into the hopper 20 and thence into the adjacent pockets 19. As the gear Wheel 11 revolves the cam groove 41 will tilt the lever 37 on its pivot and cause'the carriage to travel in the direction of the mold 6. When the compartments 19 register With the mold 6 the belt 51 Will be placed under stress and thus rotate the lingers 23 so as to agitate the material in the pockets and deliver the same to the adjacent molds. On the return stroke of the carriage the plungers 7 will bear against and compress the material in the mold 6 and thus form the brick, indicated in dotted lines at 52 in Fig. 2 of the drawings. On the rearward movenient of the carriage the belts 51 Will be loose or slack but when the pockets register with the hopper 20, said belts Will again be placed under tension so as to rotate the ngers 23 and prevent clogging or sticking of the material, as the latter is fed from the hopper into the adjacent pockets. On the neXt forward movement of the carriage the plate 45 will cut off the flow of material from the hopper 2() and cause the pockets to register with the mold 6, the completed brick being delivered to the supporting bench or shelll 54 by engagement with the front end of the carriage on the forward stroke of the latter. It will thus be seen that the material may be fed from the hopper into the compartments and from the compartments into the molds, While the material is in a moist state, the agitating lingers serving to prevent the material from sticking or adhering to the walls of the compartments or hoppers, therebyobviating the necessity of employing eXpensive heating apparatus for drying the .material preparatory to introducing the same into the molds. i

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. A press including a table, mold and coacting plungers, a carriage mounted for travel on the table for delivering material to the mold, means for reciprocating the carriage, an agitator held from rotative movement during the reciprocation of the carriage, and means for actuating said agitator at the completion of the carriage movement.

2. A press including a table, mold and coacting plungers, a hopper, a carriage mountconnecting the sprocket Wheels of both shafts, pulleys secured to the last mentioned shaft, an over-head driving shaft, and means for transmitting motion from the driving shaft to the pulleys.

1l.. A press including a table, mold and'coacting plungers, a hopper, a carriage mounted for reciprocation on the table lzeneath said hopper and provided with a pocket for delivering material from the hopper to the mold, said carriage 1seing provided with4 a pivoted section, a gear Wheel having a cam face, a lever depending from the pivoted section of the carriage and operating Within .the cam groove of the Wheel for reciprocating the carriage, an agitating device mounted for rotation in the pocket, and means for acy tuating the agitating device When the pocket registers with the hopper and mold, respectively, said agitating device heing idle during the reciprocating movement of the carriage.

l2. A press including a table, mold and coacting plunger-s, a hopper, a carriage mountgrassi ed for reciprocation on the tahle beneath the hopper and provided with a pocket adapted to receive the material from the hopper and deliver the saine to the mold, a chute communicating With the interior of the hopper, spaced shafts journaled on the carriage, an agitating device mounted for rotation in the pocket and operable from one of the shafts, means for transmitting motion from one shaft to the other', and means operatively connecting one of said shafts for rotating the agitating device when the pocket registers with the hopperand mold, respectively, said agitating device being idle during the`-re ciprocating movement of the carriage.

in testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JESSE L CROSS.

Witnesses: i

G. H. HARBY, F. G. WILLIAMS. 

